- -— -———-r
. . . EDITORIALS ...
V...V.Vir.V..V..V.-.V.ViV.V/1V.V/.V.,.V.V.'.
The Omaha Guide
Published every Saturday at 2418-20 Grant St.,
Omaha, Neb.
Phone TVEbsrer 1750
Entered as Second Class Matter March 15, 1927
at the Post Office at Omaha. Neb., under the Act
of Congress of March 3, 1879.
Terms of Subscription $2.00 per year.
Race prejudice must go. The Fatherhood of
God and the Brotherhood of Man must pre
vail. These are the only principles which will
stand the acid test of good citizenship in time
of peace, war and death.
» " -. ini . ..—■ 11
Omaha. Nebraska, Saturday, JUNE 15, 1935
The End of the NRA
By E. Hofer.
JT is doubtful if any law ever passed in this country
stirred up so much discussion and dissent
as the act creating the XRA.
Xow, a year and a half after its birth, the argu
ment has finally ended; and all the voices which
fought about its legality are stilled.
The Supreme Court has decided that the XRA
violates the Constitution. The decision is unani
mous all nine justices agreeing with the opinion
read by Mr. Hughes.
Briefly, the court has ruled that Congress ex
ceeded its authority when it delegated the power
to promulgate codes of fair competition to the
President; that the Federal government lacks the
power to regulate hours and wages in transactions
affecting intrastate commerce; that the X'RA is,
therefore, invalid.
A newspaper report on the day of the decision
says that lawyers close to the Administration be
lieved that the opinion doomed the XRA to com
plete and permanent extinction; that it would be
impossible to redraw the act so as to make it con
stitutional in the light of the high court’s lucidly
expressed views.
It is possible that elimination of XRA will cause
a certain amount of hardship in some industries.
But. without criticizing the splendid intentions of
those responsible for the act. the court’s decision
will be of great benefit to the country. It shows
that the constitution is not dead; and that con
stituional freedom sill exists, and cannot be negated
by legislative fiat. The XRA tended to set up
government as a dictator over all business; and it
is nor difficult to believe that the founders of the
country would be the first to approve of the;
Supreme Court's history-making decision.
Are We Headed For Chaos?
By E. Hofer.
Few financial commentators have so striking a
record of accurate predictions as to the future, as
Robert Babson: one of the handful of seers who
forecast the great collapse of 1929.
Mr. Babson hsa lately been optimistic as to the
course of recovery; but in a recent article, which
he terms the most important message he has is
sued in a month, he presents the omnious question,
“Is the United States Headed for Chaosf’
Mr. Babson’s fear that chaos actually confronts
us is based on the enormous inicreae in the public
debt. So far this fiscal year the Treasury has
spent the almost inconceivable sum of 130 million
dollars per week; over half a billion a month. Forty
eight per cent of this was used for the ordinary
running expenses of government, the balance going
for relief, public works and similar “emergency
projects.
Treasury receipts have averaged about 283 mil
lion dollars a month. Consequently, in spite of the
highest taxes in our history, the federal govern
ment is going in debt to the tune of 281 million
dollars a month, 66 million dollars a week. In Mr.
Babson’s words. 44 Xever before in the history of the
world has any nation so deliberately unbalanced
its budget.”
The upshot of this spending, if it is long con
tinued, is obvious. Currency inflation. There will
be no other way for the government to pay the bill.
It will be forced to issue unsound currency and the
result doesn’t require much acumen to guess at.
There is no such a thing as controlled inflation; it
invariably gets out of hand. And complete destruc
tion of the nation's social and economic standards
must follow.
Mr. Babson urges that the public write their
representatives, demanding that increased expendi
tures be voted down. "Vox populi vox dei’—and
this is no time for silence.
Checking The Human Element
By E. Hofer.
THE National Safety Council reports that the cam
paign for standard licensing laws for automobile
drivers continues to gain power. The term “stand
ail ‘ Sensing is used to include both the provisions
I of he lav itself, and the machinery set np for its
administration, in that poor enforcement could
nogate +he benefit of the best drawn aet.
Since the first of the year, three states have
I ‘ iavs the Council considers standard in every
m vs-*1k ln °nC ot^er state> new license legislation
■ - 11 acted, but the Council considers it want
m ig 111 >"a.e respect. Movements are underwav in
ft 3 T;r r t'lker States t0 bring them int0 the fold,
ft record it Afericas Tra-ic automobile death
lr ^ ^:eBlttOSW how even the most
V • -rmgent driver s licensing laws can be logically
,.ViV«w»v«wm‘^rtVrf,ir^.w«wri’»’«vri"iv»"t
opposed. The driver who is eongentially unable to
learn to operate a ear properly has no right to j
endanger the lives and property of others, even
though his inadequacy is not his fault. And the de
liberately reckless, ehnaee-taking driver, is one of
the most dangerous influences abroad in the land
today.
Every state should have a license requirement
law which makes it as cer.ain as possible that the
motorist, before he is permitted to drive, is capable
of operating his car safely. And the law should
provide that, after a number of accidents or arrests,
licenses must be revoked for a definite length of
time. The human element, rather than the mechan
ical element, is at fault in over 90 per cent of alf
accidents and a well prepared, strictly enforced
license law would temd strongly to shrink that
percentage.
A Fumble That Brings Disaster
JX an ancient religious rite, citizens stood at equal
intervals, forming a chain. The one nearest the
altar lighted a torch, then ran and gave it to the
next, who in turn passed it on to the third, and so
on. Each man ran without looking back. His sole
interest was to pass on the flaming symbol.
These citizens were warned againt fumbling the
torch. And “Don’t fumble the toreh” is a good
axiom to apply to modern times. The “torch’’ in
this connection, is very small; a match, but what
terrible havoc is wrought when it is fumbled. Tall
buildings are razed, homes destroyed, virgin forests
laid waste, and worst of all, hundreds of human
lives are lost by fire from the careless use of
matches, and from smoking; in 1932 was almost 30
millon dollars according to figures compiled by the
National Board of Fire Underwriters.
And yet; what a simple matter it is to “Be careful.
The extra seconds required to make certain that
butts or matches are completely extinguished are
well spent when you consider what may happen if the
torch is fumbled. Just place your heel on the butt
and crush out every spark, or if it is a match, break
it between your fingers. You fumble only when you
toss them away carelessly. Don’t do it!
$7,500,000,000 For Equipment
By E. Hofer.
JX normal times, the railroads constitute the great
est single industrial market for supplies and
eommoditie of many kind. Statistics show how
vast and how important to the general welfare ihat
market is.
Between 1923 and 1934, inclusive, the rails’
capital expenditures alone came to the gigantic
total of $7,587,481,000 and this includes the years
following 1930 when suc-h spending was at an ex
tremely low level. In 1923, their capital expendi
tures were more than a billion; and in 1930, the
last normal year, they were close to 900 million dol
lars.
That money went for locomotives, freight cars,
passenger cars, roadways, machinery and other
equipment. Every basic industry felt the stimulus,
steel, lumber, cement, chemicals. And a substantial
proportion of each dollar spent wrent directly and
indirectly into pay envelopes, and kept millions of
men at work.
In 1931, railroad capital expenditures totaled
but 362 million and a half billion dollar drop from
the preceding year, and in 1933 they went to the
abysmal low of 104 million dollars. The decline in
railroad spending is one of the principal reasons
for the lag in employment, and the decline of in
dustrial operations.
Last year railroad capital expenditures started
up reaching 213 million dollars. But that was 417
million dollars under the twelve-year average. Any
thing that can be done to further aid the railroads,
so that they will again improve, develop and ex
pand their properties, will give the strongest pos
sible impetus to recovery.
Trend of The Metal Market
—
THE trend of the metal market, according to the
Mining Journal, is now upward.
Zinc has recently advanced in price, and stocks
on hand have shown a drop.
Lead producers report a steady flow of busi
business in practically unvarying volume.
Domestic copper buying is at a moderate level,
averaging about 1,000 tons per day, and the price
is holding firmly to 9 cents per pound. Copper
buying abroad has improved and export prices
have risen.
Silver is at 77.57 cents per ounce, and the
treasury has apparently determined to keep around
that level for some time to come. Opinion still
holds that the government eventually will bring
the value of silver to $1.29 per ounce; but that it
will take its time about it, and will attempt to keep
silver speeultaion at the lowest possible leveL The
silver situation is somewhat confused at this time,!
due to the action of American policy on foreign
governments. Mexico, for example, has found it
necessary to adruptly witeh from silver to paper,
as it became profitable to melt down the silver
coins and sell them in this country as bullion.
The future of the base metals, of course is in
extricably related to the future of industry in gen
eral; a perceptible increase in industrial production
oi almost any kind will produce stimulated demand
for copper, lead and the rest. And the outlook for
that seems better than at any time since 1930.
i |
ECONOMIC
HIGHLIGHTS
Happenings That Affect the Din
ner Pails, Dividend Checks and
Tax Bills of Every Individual.
National. and.. International
Problems Inseparable from Lo
cal Welfare.
—0O0—
It was long rumored that law
yers close to the Administration:
as well as those associated with
industrial and business organiza
tions; felt the NRA was partly
unconstitutional.
It was likewise believed that
an NRA supreme court fest case
would result in a sp’it decision;
prabably 5 to 4: as in the railroad
pension and gold seizure cases.
NRA friends were certain that
the liberal justices; Hughes, Car
dozo, Brandies and Stone, would
uphold the law. They were al
most equally certain that the con
servatives; McReynolds. Butler.
Vandevanter and Sutherland
would vote against it. Their prin
cipal worry was what side Justice
Roberts would take.
As a result, when the Supreme
Court, by a unanimous decision,
threw out the NRA in entirety,
the Administration was stagger
ed.
Tn the week following the deci
sion. many wild rumors filled the
air. XRA friends said that the
Supreme Court’s act meant the
return of the sweat shop, child
labor, industrial peonage. XRA op
ponents said that the way was
now cleared for business to go
ahead full blast. Democratie lead
ers in Congress spoke vaguely of
framing new laws which would at
tain the purpose of the dead XRA.
and still be constitutional Presi
dent Roosevelt, in a startling
press interview, intimated that
he might seek a Constitutional
amendment giving Congress the
powers the Supreme Court has
said it does not now possess.
Xow that sufficient time has pas
ed to review events ealmlv, it
seems safe to say that no new
XRA law will be attempted: most
Administration lawyers have ad
mitted that the decision leaves
no room for further effort along
that line: and that the most ex
treme XRA friends and enemies
were wrong. Employers are not
cutting wages and increasing
hours, and the fact that the XRA
no longer exists has not given rise
to a major boom in business over
night.
far as the public was con
cerned, the XRA’did three things:
It artifically raised wages, short
ened the worknig week and in
creased prices. Industry in gen
eral was. and still is, in favor of
fair hours and wages. Since the
decision* the heads of literally
hundreds of major corporations
have announced that they will
not change existing wage and
working conditions, and in onlv
a handful of relatively unimport
ant cases have concerns gone back
to pre-XRA standards.
Prices are another matter. Once
the codes were thrown out. Indus
try was at liberty to operate on
a competive basis. First break
came in cigarette prices, which,
held by xhe code to minimum of
13 cents, dropped at once to 10
and 11 cents. And in many lines
of business, jobbers canceled fu
ture orders, believing that they
would soon be able to buy the
same products for much less
money.
ivespoiisime mausinausi wac
largely opposed to XRA price-fix
ing; but they also Know the disas
trous possibilities of uncontrolled
price-cutting. As a result, vari
ous groups which were under
codes have announced that they
plan to voluntarily continue them,
even though it is no longer legal- ■
ly obligatory. This is pleasing to ;
the Administration, which still be
lieves that stabalized price levels
are essential to the reeovery pro
gram.
Thus, the upshot of the Su
preme Court’s decision is likely
to result in the best phases of the
XRA idea being continued volun
tarily; while its worst phases,
compulsion, price boosting and
overriding of constitutional rights
will be dropped. It is obvious i
that a lessening of bureaucratic j
control over business, which XRA
immeasurably increased, will
stimulate private initiative. It is
equally obvious that the psycho
logical effect of the decision:
which said, by intimation:
“State’s rights still exist, and the
Federal power does not include
dictatorship over private endeav
ors not within interstate com
merce: will be a spur to indus
trial expansion. And those who
gravely feared that the decision
would cause an immediate drop
in the worker’s income are wrong.
On the same day as the XRA
decision, the Supreme Court hand
ed down another opinion which,
while not so well publicized, is of
equal importance.
The Frazier-Lemke farm mort
gage moratorium law provided
that when a farmer was threat
ened with foreclosure he could
jpply to a Federal court for aid.
rhe court was empowered to is
sue a stay against the foreclosure
Edgar G. Brown
Discusses Emergency
Conservation Work
Emergency Conservaion Work,
the organization which operates
the nation wide system of Civili
an Conservation Corps eamps in
the forest and parks of the coun
try. is on the threshold of an ex
pansion program which will in
crease the Corps to approximate
ly twice its present size. Under
the plan of expansion, to which
President Roosevelt gave his final
anproval on April 25th, a total
of 60.000 men will be participat
ing in the CCC program by Au
gust 31, 1^)35. Between June
15 and August 31, more than 300,
000 new men, including replace
ments for enrollees who drop
out of the Corps prior to that
time, will be enrolled in the CCC.
Robert Fechner, Director of
Emregency Conservation Work,
has just authorized the eonstruc
non oi more than a thousand ad
ditional CCC camps to be ready
for the occupancy of the CCC
enrollees as soon as possible.
Something of the life at camp
for these thousands of America’s
young men is a revealing and
heartening story for the folks
back home.
The most casual observer can
not help but be impressed with
the commendable habits, appear
ance and spirit of these young
men who have voluntarily enrol
led in this eharaeter-buiding
venture. Here you see these citi
zens of tomorrow intent on doing
their bit in the conservation of
our national resources and in de
veloping the historical and esthe
tic values of our national parks
and monuments.
To get a first-hand picture of
the life in the camps, the writer
recently made a personal visit to
the sacred shrine of the Gettys
burg National Park, where two
:CCC companies of 200 colored
men each are encamped on the
hallowed ground where President
Lincoln delivered his memorable
Gettysburg address. What I saw
there will long live in my mem
ory.
The enrollees answer to call of
revielle at 6 a. m.. Beds are made
up. clothes and belongings arrang
ed and secured in individual
trunks, showers are taken all in
an atmosphere of good fellowship
and then a piping hot breakfast
of cereal, meat, potatoes, bread
and a beverage is heartily enjoy
ed by all. A half hour or so is
spent in getting the odds and
ends cleared away while the
leaders, who are selected from
among the boys themselves, and
who are directly in charge of each
of the seven barracks, confer with
the supervisory force of the Na
tional Park Service on the sched
ule of work for the day. Shortly
before eight a. m. the boys mount
the half dozen waiting trucks and
off they go to four hours on the
job in the field before noontime.
Landscaping, seeding and resod
ding, construction of guard rails,
road repair, removing fire haz
ards, building of bridges and
truck trails, resetting headstones
in the National Cemetery, and
brightening up the monuments
erected everywhere on the Getts
burg Battlefield by the States
and Federal Government to the
honored dead, are the tasks they
set themselves to conforming to
the specifications set forth in the
blueprints of the master plans for
Gettysburg National Park.
ine oojeetive oi tne iNationai
Park Service, according to Supt.
James R McConaghie, is the re
storation of the battle area to its
original state. When the work
began many of the stone fences
that are so common to the battle
field had been all but destroyed.
Many of them were obscured by
brush, fallen trees, briars and
honeysuckle. A large portion of
the fences had disintegrated to
such a degree, that they no longer
served their purpose as fences.
Many of the farms within the
boundary of the park have these
stone walls serving as fences to
confine their fields. Most of the
stone fences were used as shelter
for both the Union and Confeder
ate forces during the battle and
and have important historical
value. Under the supervision of
the technician for the park, Dr.
Lee Jones, and his assistants, Wil
liam Allion and Dr. Loui E. King,
the first Negro historical fore
man in the National Park Service,
Department of the Interior, the
work of reepairing and general
and have the property revalued
by local appraisers. Thereafter,
the law provided, the farmer
could remain on the property for
five years for a small annual
rental. At any time during that
period he eould again regain
title to the property by paying
the appraised value; which, as the
appraisal was made on the basis
of depression values, was bound
to be much less than the original
mortgage.
The Supreme Court, in a unani
mous decision read by famed
liberal Justice Brandies, declared
this law unconstitutional, as it de
prived a mortgage holder of prop
erty without just compensation as
provided for in the Constitution.,
--:—
restoration has progressed rapidly.
The Lincoln Memorial in the Na
tional Cemetery at Gettysburg
was prepared for the Memorial
Day Sendee on May 31 hh, at j
whieh time Governor George H.
Earle of Pennsylvania was the
principal speaker. Last year
President Roosevelt spoke here
on Memorial Day.
To Be Continued Next Week.
52,000 Thirty-two Page
Booster Edition
A committee of representativ
es of Omaha citizens met Sunday.
June 9th. for the second time
with the acting Editor of 1 Tir
Omaha Guide. Mr. C. C. Galloway,
to work out a plan for a large
irradua ion edition of The Omaha
Guide. The purpose, primarily,
is to boost education among the
| youth of our race and to carry a
message of good will to the 52.
OOOhomes in Omaha about the
•rood points of Negro life.
If was suggested by Mr. J.
Harvey Kerns that we portray in
this edition, thrity-two outstand
ing Negro acts of achievement,
and the lives of thirty-two of our
neighbors, who have been out
standing in raee relations activi
ties.
Mr. Charles Davis, president of
the Critics Club, suggested that
we portray in pictures and facts
a large number of Negro places
of business.
Mr. Oscar Washington suggest- j
ed that we carry a Youth Page,
or perhaps two pages of youthful
activities.
Mr. Leroy Robbins said that
(since we all know that the only
side of Negro life, that the aver
age white citizen knows is the
criminal element, of which they
read in the daily papers, it would
be a good thing to give our white
neighbors a view of our better
side. He felt that to distribute
52,000 thirty-two page papers in
every white home in Omaha
would be well worth the effort
expended. Mr. Robbins, also,
said that there was no doubt in
his mind that every line would
j be read by every member of the
family and that this edition would
be given a permanent place into
jthe library of each intellectual
I home.
Messrs Thomas Jones and Juli
an McPherson also present dur
i ing the dicussion.
There will be another meeting
at The Omaha Guide concerning
l this matter on Sunday. June 16th,
i at 5 p. m. Public spirited citizens
i are invited to participate in this
discussion at The Omaha Guide
! Office, 2418 Grant Street.
_
Pacific Movement of the
Eastern World Inc., of
the State of
Missouri.
On the 31st. day of May, 1935.
a temporary “restraining order”
was granted Wm. Edgenton and
others against David D. Erwin,
the pretended “national Presi
dent-’ of the above named organi
zation, in the Circuit Court of
Jackson County, Kansas City,
Mo., Division No. 1, Judge Wrigth
presiding.
This attitude taken by members
is due to the violation of the Con
stitutional Principles of the or
ganization. and of the State laws
of Missouri to eject members of
the organization without having a
fair trial.
Also, many other fa'se methods
applied by David D. Erwin to ac
quire office.
All m. tubers and officers
throughout the jurisdiction are
requested to write for information
to the First National vice-Presi
dent. R. R. Walker, 1509 Euclid
Ave., Kansas City, Missouri, or
Attorney W. F. Clark. No. 1509
E. 18th, St. Kansas City. Missouri.
Gee Gee James
' w m1 %' 1
Photo by Roy Lot Jocktoo
QVEH the kilocycle waves, she Is
the light-hearted Mignonette,
one of the bright lights of radio's
original musical comedy. The Oihton
Family, heard Sundays at 10:00
p.m„ E.S.T. over an NBC-WEAF
network. Off the air, she is the
equally pert and lively Gee Gee
James.
First as a chorus girl, then
as a soubrette. she followed her
star. Radio fans first heard Gee
Gee over a local station in Phila
delphia, and shortly thereafter
she was signed by Ivory Soap for
her first network commercial—The
Oihton Family. Miss James is de
termined to become a headliner.
A top-notch voice, pluck, persis
tence. and constitutional good hu
mor combine to further her ambi
tion.
Ernest Whitman
*
Photo by H'Aiie Studio, A'. Y. C.
fTRNEST Whitman, radio’s versa
tile singing actor with the gold
en voice, who so delights Sunday
night kilocycle fans as the easy
going, musical Theophilis of Tho
Gibton Family. Ivory Soap’s musical
comedy, heard at 10:00 p.m„ E.S.T.
over an NBC-WEAF network.
Born in Oklahoma of a musical
family, Ernie scored success after
success in such plays as "Harlem,"
“Savage Rhythm,” and "Blood
Stream.” His most famous Broad
way role was "Sunny Jackson” in
“The Last Mile.”
Quiet spoken, and thoughtful.
Mr. Whitman thinks nothing can
equal his own home where he can
take his ease with his radio and
his crossword puzzles.
Edison Institute Honors Omahan
J. E. Davidson, president of the
Nebraska Power company and mid
west civic and business leader,
was elected vice-president of the ,
Edison Electric Institute at the
annual convention held in Atlantic
City.
The Edison Electric Institute is
the national trade association of
the power industry in such matters
as standardization, technical coor
dination, sales, and research in
making electricity of greater use.
at Iswtr rates, in home, shop and
J. E. Davidson
factory. As vice-president David
son holds one of the key positions
of the group.
Davidson’s selection to an im
portant post in the front ranks of
the nation’s power industry cli
maxes a close association with the
industry since its infancy. As a
poy he started his career in the
plant of the Port Huron, Mich.,
Light and Power company as a
wiper in the engine room. Through
successive steps he rose to the
position of a national figure in the 1 ;
electric industry, and is widely j j
imovn as a speaker and writer1 ]
on utility subjects. j<
la 1917 he came to Omaha as
vice-president and general manager
ol the Nebraska Power company,
being elected to his present posi
tion of president of the company
in 1928. He has also been vice
president and genera* manager of
the Citizens Power and Light com
pany of Council Bluffs, Iowa since
1917.
Davidson early became promin
ent nationally in the power indus
try through his policy of taking the
public into his confidence. He was
the first to advance the principle
that the public utility operators of
America are only t> e custodians of
the nation's electric service for
the people of America.
In 1925-1926 he served as presi
dent of the National Electric Light
Association. From 1931 to 1933 he
headed a National Refrigeration
Bureau for the electric Industry.
Davidson has aiso been active
In civic affairs. He was chosen
king ot Ak-Sar-Ben in 11*23; was
chairman of the Nebraska state
bureau personnel ol the Red Cross
during the Worn War; elected
Omaaa's "First Citizen" in 1929;
headed the first Omaha Community
Chest drive and another chest
drive since.
At the present time he is chair
man of the Greater Omaha Associa
tion; president of the board of
regents of the Omaha Municipal
Univeisity; a director of the Oma
ha Chamber of Commerce and of
:he Union Stockyards Company, ; _e
Chicago, Great Western Railroad
snd the Occidental Euiiding and
Loan Association.
Coming as it does at a time when
:he entire electric industry is unit
ng to safeguard the interests of its
nvestors and its customers, the
Section of Davidson to his new
lost is a signal honor, in the
tourse of the controversy over the
iVheeier-Raybum public utility bill,
low in Congress, Davidson nas
gained national recognition for his
iresentatioa of the utilities’ side
if the case.